This is the class blog for Eng 1102 at GA Tech called "Fiction, Human Rights, and Social Responsibility." The purpose of this blog is to extend our discussion beyond the classroom and to become aware of human rights issues that exist in the world today and how technology has played a role in either solving or aggravating them. Blogs will be a paragraph long (250 words) and students will contribute once every three weeks according to class number. Entries must be posted by Friday midnight.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Turkey: Time to remove the shackles on freedom

"The right to freedom of expression is under attack in Turkey. Hundreds of abusive prosecutions are brought against activists, journalists, writers and lawyers. It is one of Turkey’s most entrenched human rights problems." was said by John Dalhuisen, Director of Europe and Central Asia for Amnesty International. In Turkey, recent years have seen increasingly arbitrary use of anti-terrorism laws to prosecute legitimate activities including political speeches, critical writing, attendance of demonstrations and association with recognised political groups and organizations - in violation of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.

Investigative journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener, are currently being prosecuted on charges of supporting the activities of Ergenekon, an alleged criminal network engaged in a plot to violently overthrow the government for “knowingly and willingly supporting a terrorist organization”. The evidence against Ahmet Şık is based largely on his book “The imam’s army”, which alleges the existence of a network within state institutions and civil society made up of followers of the Turkish Islamic scholar in exile, Fetullah Gülen, a supporter of the Justice and Development party (AKP) government. The evidence against Nedim Şener consists of no more than written works and tapped telephone conversations with defendants in the Ergenekon case about matters not related to any crimes.

After the world have experienced two world wars, people started to seek for peace. The world they wish to have, consist of no slaveries, hatreds, discriminations. Based on the Human Rights, all people should have freedoms in all aspects. To seize this freedom, people in all countries fought vigorouly within their countries until now. The article talks about the situation in Turkey, where the governemnt has taken away the freedoms of the people to express their opinions. All sorts of practices that violates the international human rights law, will be frequent in Turkey.

Although many countries in the world, did succeed to retain the peace they acquired, still in many places, people suffer by their rights taken away. For the good of all people in the world, we should pay attention to those who suffer.